Automatic advertising apparatus.



A. A. L. 81116115111 AUTOMATIC ADVERTISING APPARATUS. APPLICATIOIAAVHLED DEC. 28. 1.915.

Patented July 31, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. A. L. sTRb'MER. AUTOMATIC ADVERTISING APPARATUS.

1917. 2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

Patented July 31 APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28. 1915- r J) v) UNITED STATES PATENT FFTE.

AXEL ARTHUR LEONARD STRGMER, OF HELSINGBORG, SWEDEN.

AUTOMATIC ADVERTISING APPARATUS.

Application filed December 28, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AXEL ARTHUR LEON- ARD S'rnoarnn, merchant, a subject of the King of Sweden, residing at Helsingborg, Sweden, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Advertising Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an apparatus comprising a plurality of sign-boards or advertising elements, which are shifted automatically, so that they will become visible one after the other at two opposite sides of the apparatus. The apparatus is well adapted to be secured to the front Walls of houses etc. above the street level in order to make it plainly visible to the public, especially at thoroughfares where the traffic is considerable.

The characteristic feature of the apparatus is to be seen in the arrangement of the sign-boards or advertising elements in one or more sets, the elements of each set lying side by side, and in the arrangement of one or more continually driven transferring organs (for instance endless chains, belts or the like) and suitable guiding devices in such a way, that the outermost elements in each set are successively moved to the opposite side of the same set, respectively to an other set of elements.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Figures 1 and 2 show the apparatus in two vertical sections, taken at right angles to each other. Fig. 3 shows parts of Fig. 2 on a larger scale and several detail devices, which are not shown in Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 show details on the same scale as Fig. 3.

The main parts of the apparatus are a box or casing, a plurality of sign-boards or ad vertising elements placed therein and a device for shifting the advertising elements automatically within the casing.

The casing 1 is of a parallelepipedal shape and has two relatively broad side walls, which each are provided with two sign openings 2. The sign-boards or advertising elements, which consist of plates of glass, paste board or any other suitable material, or of sheets of paper, cloth or the like, are ar ranged in two superposed sets, one set lying on the same level as the upper sign openings and the other set on the same level as the lower sign openings. The alvertislng elements are generally indicated with 3, but

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 31, 1917.

Serial No. 69,064.

certain of said elements have been marked with special reference letters 3*, 3 3 and 3 for the purpose of facilitating the explanation of the operation of the apparatus. The advertising elements lie of course in planes which are parallel with the broad side walls of the casing. On the inside of the two vertical narrow walls of the casing there are arranged bars 4 of iron, brass or other suitable material, which are U-shaped in cross-section and which on each such wall form a guide running along the edge thereof, as will clearly be seen from Figs. 2 and 3. From these guides the advertising elements are suspended, the upper elements (upper set) suspended from the upper horizontal parts of the said guides (Figs. 2 and 3), while the lower lements (lower set) are suspended from the lower horizontal parts of the guides. As suspension organs there are used pins projecting laterally from the upper edge of the elements and entering the guides, said pins forming the ends of rods 5, which extend along the upper edges of the elements. The pins are provided with rollers 6 (Figs. L and 5), which are in the shape of sleeves, and are loosely mounted on the ends of the rods. Each rod 5 is connected with its advertising elements by means of a metal sleeve 7 surrounding the rod and provided with two wings 8 between which the advertising element fits and to which it is,

attached by means of nails 9 (Fig. 5) or in other suitable way.

The device for continuously shifting the elements, that is to say for bringing them successively in position before the show openings, consists of two endless chains 10, arranged near the guides 4 and driven by sprocket wheels 11, mounted above and below said guides and rotated from the shaft 13 (Fig. 1), which is driven from a suitable electric motor 12.

The elements within each set lie as closely to each other as possible, that is, the sleeves 7 on the rods touch each other, as will appear from Fig. 3, where however only the outer elements within each set are indicated. At the upper left and the lower right edge of the guides A (Figs. 2 and 3) there are arranged yielding arms 14, the upper of which abut against the element lying farthest to the left within the upper element set, while the lower arms 14: abut against the element lying farthest to the right in the lower element set. To each chain there is attached a shifter 16 for shifting the advertising elements from the upper to the lower position and a yielding organ 18 for guiding the elements during their movement from the upper to the lower position. I

The other details of the apparatus are mentioned in connection with the following description of the operation of the apparatus.

The chains are assumed to run in the direction indicated by the arrows 15 (Figs. 2 and Assuming the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3, and the shifter 16 on each chain has moved the element farthest to the left in the lower element set, which element is indicated with 3 in Fig. 3, somewhat upwardly, the rollers 6 (sleeves) sliding during this movement in the left parts of the guide bars 4-, which are llshaped in cross-section. The shifters 16 thereby act on the parts 17 (Figs. e and 5) of the rods 5 lying between the rollers 6 and the sleeves 7, which parts eventually may be surrounded by sleeves. iVhen the shifters 16 have lifted the said element nearly to the same heig t as the elements in the upper set, the rollers 6 on the element 3 abut against the yielding arms 14, which, engaging the rollers 6 of the element farthest to the left (Figs. 2, 3) in the upper set, normally are located in the guiding bars 4. From Fig. 3 it will be easily understood, that at the last part of the up ward movement of the element 3 the arms 14 yield (are swung to the left, Fig. 3), until the element has come to the same height as the elements in the upper set, that is to say, until the rollers 6 of the element entirely have come into the upper horizontal guide bars 4. In the moment this is occurring the upper springs 14: will return to the position shown in Fig. 3, and simultaneously as said springs move the element 3 to the position, occupied by the element 8* in Fig. 3, they will move all the elements in the upper set to the right in a corresponding degree (equal to the width of a roller 6). By this movement the element farthest to the right in the upper set will reach the position, occupied by the element 2V in Fig. Said element is held in this position by means of yielding arms 20 projecting into the guides l. During the action, above described, of the apparatus the advertisement visible through the lower left sign-opening thus has been moved to the upper sign-opening on the same side, the advertisement previously visible in the last named opening having been hidden and a new advertisement having been exposed in the sign-opening first mentioned.

When the two yielding organs 18 (one on each chain) have occupied the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 they are ready to cause the movement of the advertising element 3 from the upper to the lower position. When the organs 18 have moved somewhat downward from the dotted position they will abut against the parts 17 of the rod 5 and thereby give way, so that they will pass beyond said rod. lVhen this I has taken place they will return into the starting position, so that they will come with their surfaces 21 directly below the parts 1'? of the rod 5. On the further movement of the chain in the direction of the arrows 15 the organs 1S actuate the yielding arms 20 by grasping with projections 18 over the arms 20 and swinging these arms out of the path of the element 3 in such a way, that the arms are swung downwardly from their element supporting position. The element then only is supported by the organs 18 respectively the chains and thus will take part in the downward movement of the latter.

hen the rollers have passed beyond the arms 20 the latter will return into the starting position (Fig. Immediately before the element 3 has reached its lower position the rollers 6 thereof abut against position, shown in the drawing, thereby mo ing all the elements in the lower set one step corresponding to the width of a roller) to the left, so that the element 3 will occupy the position, which in the drawing is occupied by the element 3 and the element farthest to the left in the lower set will be moved, so that its rollers reach into the path of movement of theshifters 16.

It will thus he understood that the advertising elements are shifted in such a manner that after a certain time, the length of which can be controlled by regulating the motor, both sides of all the advertising elements will have been visible in the sign-openings.

At the lower end the advertising elements are provided with a strip of lead or any other heavy metal or material which serves to keep the elements in a vertical position and, if they are made of cloth, to keep them smooth. These strips serve also another purpose. The same are provided with parts 25, which project on both sides of the vertical edges of the elementand which, when the elements are in an extreme position in the upper set, as the element 3 in Fig. 3, are engaged by the organ 18 and prevent the element 3" from swinging to the left, a swinging, which could have the result, that the next element 3 in its upward movement would come at the inside of the ele ment 3 Between the lower right edges of the guides 4: there extends a guiding body 26, (Fig. 3) which serves to positively guide the lower edge of an element, which is conveyed downward, in the proper direction, so that it will come into the outmost position to the right in the lower set and not eventually between two elements in this set.

The device can of course be modified in many ways without departing from the principle of the invention. For instance only one set of elements or more than two sets can be used.

Claims.

1. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, the combination of two sets of advertising elements, an upper and a lower set, a frame, having endless guides for such elements, said guides composed of vertical guide parts and upper and lower horizontal guide parts, hinge members by which the elements are hun with their upper ends in the horizontal guide parts, means for lifting the elements from the lower to the upper set, means for pressing the elements in the horizontal guide parts toward the delivery ends of said guide parts, means for supporting the elements during their passage from the upper to the lower horizontal guide parts, said means consisting of arms, which when moving downwardly and passing the outmost element at the delivering end of the upper horizontal guide parts engage below the hinge members of said element and arms mounted in the frame near the delivering ends of the upper horizontal guide parts in such a way, that they normally form supporting members for the outmost element atsaid delivering ends, but are moved out of the path of said element when the other arms for supporting the elements during their passage downward occupy the supporting position with respect to said element.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of two sets of advertising elements, an upper and a lower set, a frame having endless stationary guides for such elements, said guides composed of vertical guide parts and upper and lower horizontal guide parts connecting said vertical guide parts, hinge members, by which the elements are hung with their upper ends in the horizontal guide parts, endless chains, adapted to move upward along the vertical guide parts at one side of the frame and adapted to move downward along the vertical guide parts on the opposite side, arms on the said chains for lifting the elements from the upper to the lower set, springs arranged so as to press the elements in the horizontal guide parts toward the delivery ends of said guide parts, means for supporting the elements during their passage from the upper to the lower horizontal guide parts, said means consisting of arms, which when moving downwardly and after passing the outmost element at the delivering end of the upper horizontal guide parts, engage below the hinge members of said element, and arms mounted in the frame near the delivery ends of the upper horizontal guide parts in such a way that they normally form supporting members for the outmost element at said delivery ends, but are moved out of the path of said element when the other arms for supporting the elements during their passage downward occupy the supporting position with respect to said element.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of two sets of ad vertising elements, an upper and a lower set, a frame having endless stationary guides for such elements, said guides comprising vertical guide parts and upper and lower horizontal guide parts connecting said vertical guide parts, hinge members, by which the elements are hung with their upper ends in the horizontal guide parts, endless chains, adapted to move upward along the vertical guide parts at one side of the frame and adapted to move downward along the vertical guide parts on the opposite side, arms on said chains for lifting the elements from the upper to the lower set, springs arranged so as to press the elements in the horizontal guide parts toward the delivery ends of said guide Darts, means for supporting the elements during their passage from the upper to the lower horizontal guide parts, said means consisting of arms yieldingly mounted on the endless chains in such a way, that they firstly yield out of the path of the elements when abutting from above the outmost element at the delivering end of the upper horizontal guide parts and then immediately yield back to the normal position so as to engage below the hingemembers of said element, and arms mounted in the frame near the delivering ends of the upper horizontal guide parts, in such a way, that they normally form supporting members for the outmost ele-' ment at said delivering ends, but are moved out of the path of said element when the other arms for supporting the elements during their passage downward occupy the supporting position with respect to said element.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AXEL ARTHUR LEONARD STRilMER. l/Vitnesses:

IWAR H. PEHRssoN, RAYNAR OLSSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Batents,

. Washington, 1), G, 

